Gospel singer and evangelist Tope Alabi has threatened legal action against individuals who publish or circulate false and defamatory statements about her, warning that liability could extend to those who share such content online.
The warning was contained in a public notice issued on Friday by her solicitors, Oakmount Legal Practitioners, who said they had been instructed to pursue legal remedies against individuals whose actions give rise to actionable claims.
Alabi shared the notice, dated October 23, 2026, on her Instagram account.
The legal notice described her as a gospel minister, recording artist, songwriter, actress and public figure of national and international repute, noting that she had spent almost 30 years building her career and public image.
The solicitors stated that her “reputation is a valuable personal and professional asset, and it is protected by law”.
They said it had come to their client’s attention that “false, misleading and injurious statements concerning her have been, and may continue to be, published and circulated to the public, whether in print, broadcast, online or by word of mouth”.
The law firm warned that anyone who published such statements without lawful justification could be held personally liable.
The notice stated: “That any person who, without lawful justification, publishes or causes to be published, whether in writing, in print, through images, videos, audio, electronic or social media posts, or any other permanent form (libel), or by spoken words, broadcasts, interviews, podcasts, live streams, voice notes or any other transient form (slander), any statement concerning our Client which is false, malicious or calculated to injure her reputation, shall be held personally liable for such publication.”
The solicitors also warned that legal responsibility could extend beyond the original author to people who distribute or amplify the material.
“Liability may extend, inter alia, to the originator of the statement and to any person who repeats, republishes, reposts, shares, forwards or otherwise amplifies the same, depending on the circumstances of the publication and any applicable legal defences,” the notice stated.
They further cautioned social media users against assuming that anonymous accounts would shield them from legal consequences.
“The use of anonymous, pseudonymous or unverified accounts does not, of itself, confer immunity from legal liability,” the solicitors said.
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The firm added that Alabi reserved the right to seek court orders, where legally permissible, to identify those responsible for the publications through relevant platforms, hosts or service providers.
The notice directed individuals who had already published the material to remove it and refrain from further circulation.
“Any person who has already published such material is hereby required to remove the same forthwith and to desist from any further publication,” it stated.
However, the solicitors cautioned that deleting a post would not automatically absolve its publisher of potential liability for the earlier publication.
The firm said it had been instructed to institute proceedings against anyone whose conduct gave rise to an actionable claim “without further notice or recourse”.
The remedies available to Alabi, according to the notice, include general damages and, where legally available and justified, aggravated or exemplary damages.
Other possible remedies include injunctions restraining further publication, an order compelling a retraction and an unreserved public apology, as well as the costs of legal proceedings on a full indemnity basis.
The solicitors added that Alabi reserved the right to pursue remedies available under Nigerian law and refer appropriate cases to relevant authorities.
The notice, however, clarified that the warning was not intended to restrict lawful expression.
“Nothing in this Notice is intended to restrict truthful statements, fair comment on matters of public interest, or the lawful exercise of the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by law,” it stated.
The notice comes amid online controversy surrounding Alabi’s reported comments on traditional religious practices and renewed public discussion of her past association with the late cleric Elijah Ajanaku.
However, the legal notice did not identify the specific publications or allegations that prompted the warning.
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